Rinaldo turned and said that he would pay for a charitable deed to the extent of his power, and would not meanly allow them to befriend persons who were to continue strangers to them.  He gave the name of Guidascarpi, and relieved his brother, as well as himself, of a load of obligation, for the ladies raised wild screams on the instant.  In falling from the walls to the road, Rinaldo hurt his foot.  Barto lifted him on his back, and journeyed with him so till at the appointed place he met his wife, who dressed the foot, and led them out of the line of pursuit, herself bending under the beloved load.  Her adoration of Rinaldo was deep as a mother’s, pure as a virgin’s, fiery as a saint’s.  Leone Rufo dwelt on it the more fervidly from seeing Vittoria’s expression of astonishment.  The woman led them to a cave in the rocks, where she had stored provision and sat two days expecting the signal from Trent.  They saw numerous bands of soldiers set out along the valleys—­merry men whom it was Barto’s pleasure to beguile by shouts, as a relief for his parched weariness upon the baking rock.  Accident made it an indiscretion.  A glass was levelled at them by a mounted officer, and they had quickly to be moving.  Angelo knew the voice of Weisspriess in the word of command to the soldiers, and the call to him to surrender.  Weisspriess followed them across the mountain track, keeping at their heels, though they doubled and adopted all possible contrivances to shake him off.  He was joined by Count Karl Lenkenstein on the day when Carlo Ammiani encountered them, with the rear of Colonel Corte’s band marching for Vicenza.  In the collision between the Austrians and the volunteers, Rinaldo was taken fighting upon his knee-cap.  Leone cursed the disabled foot which had carried the hero in action, to cast him at the mercy of his enemies; but recollection of that sight of Rinaldo fighting far ahead and alone, half-down-like a scuttled ship, stood like a flower in the lad’s memory.  The volunteers devoted themselves to liberate or avenge him.  It was then that Barto Rizzo sent his wife upon her mission.  Leone assured Vittoria that Angelo was aware of its nature, and approved it—­hoped that the same might be done for himself.  He shook his head when she asked if Count Ammiani approved it likewise.

“Signorina, Count Ammiani has a grudge against Barto, though he can’t help making use of him.  Our captain Carlo is too much of a mere soldier.  He would have allowed Rinaldo to be strung up, and Barto does not owe him obedience in those things.”

“But why did this Barto Rizzo employ a woman’s hand?”